The Question Is:
Christafari is a Gospel Reggae band who is both Pentacostal and Protestant. Though I myself am neither Pentacostal nor Protestant I think they have written an outstanding article on their offical web site answering the question of why they use the name "Jah." I believe that the truely reasoning minded person, whether they be of Protestant, Catholic, Rasta or Bible Student background would find many of their points both simply factual as well as bibical. The article starts off by a question made from someone who displays much ignorance in knowing their own church roots in Judeo-Christianity by asking Christafari: "Why do you use the name Jah as a substitute for God in your songs?"
...Christafari tells of how when they first tried to get there Gospel reggae songs played on the Christian radio station in Jamaica. When the 'Christian' disk jockey heard the name "Jah" sung he imediently yanked Christafari's album off the air. The lead singer Mark Mohr expressed being shocked and puzzled at the Christian radio station's reaction. But a fellow band member who was used to the Christians on the Island said it was well known that the name "Jah" was dispised by all the Protestant churches through the Carribean.
Though Mark speaks of being shocked at their reaction, he also admit remembering how when he first joined the Pentacostal church after previously having been Rasta he himself, "Thought of "Jah" as a false god." And that he, "through the name "Jah" out WITH the name "Ras Tafari!"..He then says, "It was SOME time till a fellow Christian reggae artists reminded me and pointed out to me that the name "Jah" WAS BIBICAL"...He explained that this fellow Christian Reggae artists SHOWED HIM FROM THE BIBLE WHERE the NAME Jah was and that after this is dedicated himself to using it and educating fellow Christians about it.
THE NAME JAH WAS AROUND BEFORE RAS TAFARI/HAILE SELASSIE WALKED THE EARTH
Mark Morh admits: "Many parishioners still do not feel comfortable using the term [name]Jah due to it's present day reference to Rastafari." But then Mark brings out an OUTSTANDING POINT! saying: "However, we must remember that it was GOD's NAME FIRST, LONG BEFORE Haile Selassie ever walked the earth." Mark contiunes with even more great reasonings asking, "Should we strike out Jah's name simply because Rastas use it? Should we strike out using the name "Jehovah" simply because Jehovah's Witnesses use it? Should we stop using the name of Jesus Christ because The Mormons use the name in title of their church, "The Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints? No."
Indeed! Mark concludes: "After some study of this name of God, I have concluded that it IS a legitmate BIBICAL word. "Jah" (Hebrew for Yah) is a contraction of Jahweh. Today we either pronounce it as Jehovah or Yahweh. In addiction to the name Jah being used by Rastas, it is also a common name used within Jamaican culture. Do to its regular use in their diatect of Patios, this name is by no means limited to the Rastfarian culture, but raher it encompasses the majority of Jamaican culture, and other areas of the Carribean."
The name JAH occures 50 times in the original Hebrew scriptures, 26 times alone, and 24 times in the expression, "HallaeluJah", which literally means: "Praise Jah!"...The presence of the word "JAH" is completely REMOVED in MOST popular translations. The King James and The American Translation only have it ONCE as "JAH or "YAH" at Psalm 68:4.
The German made Rotherham's Bible emphasized Bile restores the name as "Yah" 49 times and The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures restores it all 50 times as "Jah"...This includes Revaltion 19:1,3,and 4 where it reads: Praise Jah". The New World Translation RESTORES the name JAH 50 times. Including the Book of Revelatio. And RESTORES the long version of the name JEHOVAH to ALL of it's some 2000+ times. Also The Rotherham's Bible RESTORES the NAME YAH 49 times. And RESTORES the long verison YAHWEH all 2000+ times. The Living Bible [NOT The NEW Living Translation] carries the name Jehovah throughout the Old Testament.
JAH/YAH SCRIPTURES
Exodus 15:2 Psalm 146:1 Isaiah 12:2 Psalm 68:4 Song of Soloman 8:6 Revelations 19:1
JEHOVAH/YAHWEH
Exodus 6:3 Psalm 83:18 Isaiah 12:2; 26:4
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